A Warrington man has proved that it’s possible to win big at poker without being a veteran. In fact, it only took Nerchabouh Tachajian four years to reach the level needed to win £7,720 in a Manchester poker tournament hosted by Grosvenor Poker.

Late to the Game

The 55-year-old from Great Sankey, Warrington, who started playing in his 50s, appreciated the logic and calculations of poker. Mr Tachajian explained his playing mentality to his local newspaper, saying:

"You need to be relaxed, it’s all confidence and how you play. It’s more than just luck, it’s a lot of calculation".

And it would seem that Mr Tachajian has found a successful strategy, given that he finished third out of 336 players. For preparation, he has a clear strategy, “I just play online tournaments; I don’t play cash because I don’t like to take people’s money". But Mr Tachajian is comfortable with entering online tournaments because “everyone is putting a percentage of money in”.

Advancing

The Warrington-based fashion worker now has the opportunity to test his poker skills at a higher level. After finishing third at Grosvenor’s 25-25 event, Mr Tachajian was also rewarded with a £1,000 seat for the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour’s (GUKPT) upcoming second leg in Manchester this March.

For any players seeking to emulate his success, Mr Tachajian had a few helpful poker tips to share. Two of the highlights included players thinking twice before wagering all their chips, and to make the most of the cards they are dealt. The other tips included staying relaxed, not getting upset and 'going for it' if players feel confident.

2016 GUKPT: Travelling the Country

The GUKPT is celebrating its 10th anniversary by running tournament legs in eight UK cities before hosting a grand final at the Grosvenor Casino Victoria in London across 20-27 November. Any players who don’t qualify for the grand final during the earlier legs can pay £2,000 buy-in + £125 re-entry to compete in the £400,000 guaranteed main event.

Before then, UK poker players, including Mr Tachajian, will be in Manchester between 28 February and 6 March to do battle in the second leg. The Grosvenor Casino Manchester will play host to a main event with a £200,000 guaranteed prize pool. Some players can qualify for the main event via one of the low-cost satellite tournaments, but others will pay the £1,000 buy-in + £100 re-entry.

Grosvenor Partners with Microgaming

Grosvenor has also been in the news for its online activity in recent weeks, having signed a February deal with Microgaming to join the Microgaming Poker Network (MPN). After the software integration is completed, Grosvenor’s 110,000 players will have access to an online poker platform that will comprise downloadable software, instant play and mobile compatibility.

When the deal was announced, it emerged that this will be the first time Grosvenor will provide a full suite of online poker services. Grosvenor players will just have to wait a little while longer for the new platform’s launch date to be revealed.